richmke
-
Posts
510 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by richmke
-
-
15 minute test kit for $30. If the company is smart, they will figure out a way to mass process the results - connect multiple "digital" analyzers to a computer and associate the results with the proper passenger.
Swipe your nose, swipe your medallion, and you are done. Results sent to your account in 15 minutes.
1 minute per passenger. you would need 17 man hours to process 1,000 passengers. 3 stations can process 1,000 passengers in one day.
-
I believe you can "apply" multiple FCC to a cruise as a "deposit". However, I don't think you can "stack" them. You only get one FCC OBC.
-
If your cruise ends in a foreign country, then you will need a COVID test to board the plan to return to the USA. Will Princess provide the COVID test?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that it would require airline passengers to show proof of a negative coronavirustest or recovery from COVID-19 before boarding an international flight to the U.S., effective Jan. 26. Airlines are required to deny boarding to those who don't.
-
8 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:
Yes...google it. Multiple sources have stated 100 million by the end of February
100 million doses by March 1. At 50 million per month after that, it would be 300 million doses by July 1. The population of the USA is 330 million. Since each person needs 2 doses, that is 660 million doses needed.
Based upon your numbers, you can cover about 1/2 the population of the USA by July 1. That may be all the "demand" since a lot of people have said they would not take the vaccine.
"To reach everyone could take up to a year."
-
18 minutes ago, naxer said:
From a public health point of view, while who gets it and how sick they get is important, the greater concern is how to stop its spreading. Restarting cruising will not depend on the ages and healthiness of the cruisers, as much as where they come from, their numbers, their potential interactions, and where they are going.
When any cruise line can restart will depend upon what you say. Once that threshold is met, which lines open up will depend upon the demographics of the cruisers. All else being equal, the lines with an older demographic will open later than ones with a younger demographic.
-
4 hours ago, molly361 said:
Thought since Princess announced their extension that Carnival was doing so yesterday. Since they are both owned by the same company don't think that there is a chance in heck of one line sailing while the others do not
IMHO, Carnival will restart before Princess. Carnival caters to a younger crowd where the risks of complications from a COVID infection are less. HAL will restart last with the oldest, and at highest risk, average passenger.
IMHO, I think Disney will open later too. Can't easily control the kids (keep masks on, don't touch everything, etc.). If one person has it, it will spread to all the passengers with kids in an enclosed cruise ship.
-
> NCL will probably not survive, but no matter as it will have little or no effect on the U.S. economy.
NCL will survive. The question is whether the current stock holder will have anything in 2 years. NCL could go through bankruptcy reorganization (chapter 11), not liquidation (chapter 7). The debt holders will get the company, and then run it.
-
1
-
-
Just received an e-mail about my July AK cruise being cancelled.
-
This article was quoted in the letter:
https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2020-carnival-cruise-coronavirus/
Cindy Friedman, the experienced epidemiologist who leads the CDC’s cruise ship task force. “I have a hard time believing they’re just a victim of happenstance.”
They didn't quote this: She says its actions created a “huge strain” on the country. “Nobody should be going on cruise ships during this pandemic, full stop,” she says.
My question is: If it was so evident to her (an experienced epidemiologist), why did it take until March 14th for the CDC to issue the No Sail Order? Isn't the CDC supposed to be on top of things that can lead to Pandemics? Why is Carnival being blamed when the CDC was silent?
-
5
-
-
Short-term, I think it benefits CCL - people less likely to book on a troubled carrier than one perceived as more financially sound.
Long-term - not good. The most likely outcome of Bankruptcy is that the Debt Holders end up owning the Company. It will be run as it has been, but with new owners. The new owners will have a lower cost basis (wiped out Equity holders), so lower total cost of operations. The industry will have the same number of ships, competing for the same passengers. It will take a while for supply and demand to rebalance. In the meantime, passengers can get good deals, but the cruise companies will have problems.
One other benefit of bankruptcy is that NCL will be able to get out of contracts for ships being built. That will help reduce future supply.
-
We just booked an end of July Alaska Cruise from Seattle. Booked a balcony in case we are stuck for an extra 2 weeks on the ship. Maybe we will end up in Long Beach for quarantine, and we can visit the kids.
Very few of the cabins are booked. I'd be surprised if more than 1/3 of the cabins are filled for the first cruise at the beginning of July. Maybe that is the plan - 50% or less occupancy.
-
I wonder if CCL will offer to let people exchange FCC for stock. Other threads are complaining about delays in receiving refunds. If CCL doesn't clear the refund backlog soon (after raising all the money), then the stock is worthless.
-
I was doing some searching on Princess for Alaska cruises. My PVP called me the next day and offered some OBC and free gratuities. You might not have to wait for a sale.
-
I bought at near the 52 week low. I figure the 4.4% dividend yield is safe and provides a lot of downside protection vs. a 1.60% 10 year treasury bond yield. The occasional $1/share OBC is a bonus. It takes a lot of cruises to make up for a $20/share drop in price form the 52 week high.
-
From what I have read, since you are Platinum, you will get a better deal on board on the first day. The price you get will reflect the value of your free minutes that you won't need.
The advance deal is the best one for anyone that does not get free minutes.
-
1
-
-
15 hours ago, sylvabell said:
Would it be normal for Princess Cruises to phone you after you signed up online for their newsletter and offer to help you and give you special deals? This happened to me today.
Yes, normal.
FYI: Don't worry about dealing with a person who called you until they ask for payment. With Princess, you can have the person book the reservation for you, and tell them you will pay the deposit on-line. Then you can login to your Princess account and make payment. They should give you at least 1 day to make a deposit to lock in the fare. If they don't, then tell them to have a nice day.
-
19 hours ago, Italy52 said:
Tried to use it on the cruise as OBC and was told by a Guest Services agent that we would have to wait until all of our OBC was used up and then we could apply the gift card.
Probably trying to save themselves some hassle of refunding any balance to the gift card.
On my last cruise, I put a gift card onto my folio at the Passenger Service Desk. No problem. They paid for charges in the right order:
1) Non-refundable OBC
2) Gift card
3) Refundable OBC (purchased by cruise agent)
If you only have non-refundable OBC, then you are better off waiting until you know the OBC is used up before you put the Gift Card onto your account.
FYI: Use the Gift Card to purchase Future Cruise Deposits. Note: Do this before depositing to your account, since you can't use OBC to purchase FCD.
-
On 8/9/2019 at 5:18 PM, mdpseattle said:
The statement that I made was that unless the casino is doing something nefarious, in cahoots with the slot manufacturer they are unable to request a payout lower than the Nevada rules, which is 80%.
Since CCL (including Princess) is not governed by NV law, there would be nothing "nefarious" about requesting a machine with a payout lower than 80%. I doubt that Princess is getting machines lower than 80%
> The implication of posts on the forum were that somehow the slots of cruise ships are
> worse payback than those in Nevada.
I would argue that Princess slots are worse payback than those in Las Vegas.
> That is not true (unless they are violating their rules) -- the slots are the same ones found in Nevada.
Just because Nevada has an 80% minimum does not mean that all slots are at 80%. In fact, the reports indicate that slots are around 90-95%. So, Princess could be "worse payback" than those in Las Vegas, even if they are higher than the Nevada minimum.
> I think the assumption that many make is that the cruise lines are out to screw us at any opportunity they can
> so of course they would set them at 80% and not a percentage point more to make as much profit as possible
> and also because their isn't competition casino across the street.
I'm not saying that Princess sets them at 80%. Heck, they could set them at 90% and still be worse than most places in Las Vegas. You are naive if you think the lack of competition on a Cruise Ship would not affect payout rates. If there was only one place to gamble in Las Vegas, then they would probably be a lot closer to the 80% minimum. Because of competition, the casinos in Las Vegas have to raise their payout rates to attract customers. The LV airport is notorious for having low payouts. Captive audience (people waiting for their plane). I'm guessing that small towns are similar.
I doubt that Princess has a payout ratio of 80%. If the cruise line gained a reputation for being really stingy, then real gamblers will cruise on other lines. My guess is that Princess has a payout a little less (3-5%?) than Las Vegas in order to keep gamblers happy enough.
> The truth is we don't know what the payback is, but it is the same requirement as Nevada.
The "requirement" is the minimum payout. The real issue is whether Princess is competitive to the average Las Vegas casino (which is way more than the minimum). That is where Princess is competing for the vacation $$$'s.
> And based on my personal experience playing the casino slots it is a very similar experience to Vegas land based casinos.
> I don't feel like I lose more and faster than I do in Vegas.
You can set the odds of the slot so that "you don't feel like you lose more and faster". The odds could be the same as Las Vegas for the low payouts (not losing more and faster). If they set the jackpot really tight, then that can make a real difference to the Casino. They take your $100 over the course of the evening (lots of small wins to you to keep you entertained), and you are a happy camper. By rarely having to pay out the $10,000 big prize, they make a lot more money. You never notice it, because you don't expect to win the big prize.
-
4 minutes ago, mdpseattle said:
When it comes to the online casino on Princess Cruise ships, all of the slot machines follow Nevada Gaming rules and laws and have follow the minimum paybacks that the Nevada Gaming commission has set forth, which are at least 80%, but they can select higher when they purchase the slot machine.
...
So, unless Princess is in cahoots with IGT or other slot manufacturers to get machines that benefit them more than the Nevada machines already do, they are basically the same slot machines you'll find in Vegas.
However, Cruise Ship Slots are not subject to competition from the Casino across the street. 80% payout is rather low. Typical slot payouts are 90-95% in Nevada.
-
If you want a lot of hot chocolate for the Alaska Cruise.
-
1 hour ago, kruisey said:
We read much about the food quality on the ships.It is a subject always close to most folks heart.
Could it not be the quality of the food but chef in charge of all the cutlery delights that results turn out bad ,fair ,or yummy?
No. The Chef works for Princess/CCL. If he is not up to snuff, then it is up to Princess/CCL to replace him. The Chef could make a minor difference, but not a major one.
-
1
-
-
On 8/5/2019 at 2:54 PM, c-boy said:
... " Anything else dummies should know?" Go Big or Go Home .....
The Casino is playing the long-term odds (over time, the house has the advantage - for example, out of 100 plays, the casino wins 51% of the time). That implies the individual should put down one big bet, and either win it all, or lose it all. Over the short-run, you can beat the house. Over the long run, the house beats you.
-
21 hours ago, denmarks said:
Anything else dummies should know?
Look for the classes to teach you card games, roulette, etc. Not only do you learn how to play the game, but you also get a coupon for $5 match play. For the Match Play:
1) The odds of the payout has to be 1:1 (Red/Black on the roulette wheel, but no single number)
2) You bet $5, and the Card is considered another $5 bet.
3) If you win, you get $10 plus your $5 back ($15). If you loose, you get $0. So, the Expected Value is in your favor for that bet.
-
2
-
-
15 hours ago, alli7784 said:
So, any advice specific to balcony cabins would be much appreciated - what to bring, tips and tricks, etc!
If you don't have them already, bring some Towel Clips. They clip the towel onto the deck chair.
If you leave stuff discreetly on the balcony to dry during the day, make sure you bring them in at night, or they will get damp overnight.
-
1
-
Is there a benefit to using Princess Cruise Vacation Planner?
in Princess Cruises
Posted · Edited by richmke
My PVP has been great during COVID. On the original reservation made pre-COVID, I was contacted by the PVP, and I told her I could get a better deal from an online TA (gave rebates). PVP was able to get close with OBC and Specialty Dining, so I gave the reservation to her. Then COVID hit. She has been great at making the new reservation, and transferring deposits and bonuses to the new reservation. It took Princess a month or two to release the FCD so it could be applied to the new cruise. PVP was able to hold the new reservation without having to make the deposit until the FCD was released. More cancellations, rinse and repeat. Nice I didn't have to hassle with extending deposit dates with the new reservation until the deposit on the old reservation was released.
The only downside: Because Princess was protecting TA's commissions, I would have received the rebate on the cancelled cruise if I made it with the online TA.
With the online TA, sometimes it was annoying dealing with them. Sometimes the issue they could fix, and sometimes I had to deal with Princess anyway. With the PVP, she handles it all.
Note: I mostly deal with the PVP via e-mail, and she is fairly prompt. A few times I had to call her, and was able to get ahold of her in a reasonable amount of time. For a new cruise, I would book something, including the cabin and deal I wanted. Then she would rebook the reservation, and take it from there.